Swimmers at a municipal pool in Mulund have been seeing an unlikely visitor perfect the technique of keeping the head above water: a monkey.

Every day for the past week, the primate has been showing up at the Kalidas Swimming Pool around 7 am — swimming without a worry for about an hour, much to the astonishment of regulars.

It doesn't bother other swimmers or jostle for space on the diving board. It usually stays away from the crowd, swimming across the breadth of the pool.

The monkey created quite a stir the first time it turned up and took a dive — some children jumped out of the pool — but now members have grown fond of it."I love the way the monkey swims. I make it a point to go every morning to catch a glimpse," said Sanvi Sawant, 8, who lives in Bhandup.

No monkey business For a couple of days, the BMC-run facility's caretakers tried to scare the monkey way, but it would return for its hourly swim the next morning. The management finally decided to leave the eviction task to the pros. "We have informed the forest department, and they will take care of the monkey," said the pool supervisor, Milind Bhingarde, told Mirror.

In the meantime, the monkey has become a star attraction. Despite monsoon and lower temperatures, members have been turning up in numbers every morning for the past few days.